


Indespensible

by moomkin



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Thrawn - Fandom
Genre: Awkward First Times, Awkward Flirting, Consensual Sex, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Gay Sex, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-10-22 05:41:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10690908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moomkin/pseuds/moomkin
Summary: Ensign Eli Vanto couldn't understand why Lieutenant Thrawn continued to risk everything to keep them together, until their first night aboard the Blood Crow. Thrawn/Eli shipping from new Thrawn novel.





	Indespensible

Ensign Eli Vanto was doing his best to ignore his roommate. Usually a pointless effort. More often than not, he glanced up to find the Chiss staring at him. Of course, a human might have been embarrassed with getting caught doing something most people thought of as rude, but Thrawn would just continue to stare. 

Eli tried to put it out of his mind, but, as it always was, ignoring Thrawn didn't last for long. 

Eli glanced up, found those glowing red eyes were on him again. 

"I guess it doesn't matter how many times I ask," Eli said. "You're not going to tell me why you keep staring at me." 

"I find you fascinating," came the answer. Eli rolled his eyes. 

"And no one else, I've noticed," he answered back, putting his datapad down. "I'd think by now you'd have realized I'm not the most interesting person in the galaxy." 

"You are to me," Thrawn answered. 

Eli sighed, resigned himself to once again being the subject of the Chiss's curiosity. It was their first night together on their first ship… the _Blood Crow._ Once the shock had worn off, it really didn't come as a surprise to find himself once again in Thrawn's company. He'd been stuck with the Chiss ever since Imperials discovered Thrawn alone, abandonned on a barren planet. 

They'd taken the blue-skinned alien prisoner. Eli, being from Wild Space, spoke the trade language Sy Bisti, and Thrawn, being from who knows where, could speak it too. The language was so obscure it hadn't been programmed into any Imperial droids. And time and time again – whether as a prisoner or as a lieutenant - Thrawn had somehow managed to convince anyone who had power over him to let him keep Eli on as his aide, somehow always winning the argument that he needed a translator. 

Even when Thrawn graduated the four-year Royal Imperial Academy in three months… even when he communicated his need for a translator at a level of Basic on par with anyone else in the Empire. No matter what, Eli's future seemed to be forever consigned to Thrawn's shadow. 

"I'd like to ask if you know something particular about the Chiss," Thrawn said. 

A typical request. Whenever Thrawn's eyes had satisfied themselves with staring, he tended to resort to asking for stories. 

"I've told you every single myth my people have about your people," Eli reminded his roommate. Not that Thrawn was ever apparently tired of hearing the same stories over and over again. Eli was sure that was part of the reason Thrawn liked having him around – Eli seemed to be the only person in the Empire who had ever heard of the Chiss. 

"Not all of them," Thrawn said, Eli taking note of the change of his tone. Still the same commanding confidence as always, but there was something… different. Eli hadn't spent enough time with Thrawn to decode the change. 

"What do you know about our people and…" Was that pause… _hesitation?_ Eli was certainly paying attention now. 

"Family," Thrawn finished, and Eli was taken aback, his forehead creased with concern. Thrawn was never one to divulge into his own personal history. The only thing Eli knew about his past was that at one time he had messed up big time and was exiled from his people and his planet… only now did Eli realize it probably was more painful to be torn away from his home than the Chiss could let on. 

But sympathy was not what Thrawn was searching for. Eli had spent too much time with him to know that much. 

"We don't have any stories about that," he said. "Why don' you tell me about it." 

The Chiss gestured to the bunk Eli was currently sitting on. "May I?" 

"Yeah, of course," Eli said, and then mentally scolded himself, because if Thrawn staring at him from across the room got on his nerves, having the alien sitting directly next to him and staring at him was even worse. 

"Family is everything to us," Thrawn began, Eli noticing his red eyes constantly scanning his face, as though reading every single reaction he might have. "When we choose a mate, we are dedicating ourselves to one another for our entire lives. We form an unbreakable bond, sworn to defend and protect one another as long as we are able to draw breath." 

Eli found himself giving a weak smile. "That's… sweet." 

Maybe not the best word to use, but at least Thrawn seemed pleased with his assessment. 

"Did you, you know, leave someone behind?" Eli asked, figuring that was why he'd brought it up. 

"No," Thrawn answered sharply. Eli was now staring at Thrawn just as hard as the alien had been staring at him. 

"Sorry, I can't really see you dating," Eli said, suddenly laughing. The idea just seemed ridiculous. He imagined an entire planet of Thrawns, proud, confident, but utterly oblivious to common sense, where the advances of one would go completely over the head of the other. 

"Dating?" Thrawn asked, his head tilting slightly like it did whenever he was caught off guard by something he didn't know. 

Eli opened his mouth, trying to find the words, and then just lamely explained, "Searching for a mate. You know, spending time with someone to figure out if you'd make a compatible pair." 

"I see," Thrawn said. "Dating. I will remember that." 

"Well, what's the point?" Eli said. "Not sure you're going to be doing much dating here." 

And then thinking about what Thrawn had just said about his people's emphasis on family, he regretted what he said. 

He hated to have to remind his roommate that pretty much everyone in the Imperial Navy looked down on Thrawn. He was an outsider – an alien. Something repulsive that was only in his position because of sheer talent, but not because he actually belonged. As far as Eli could tell, Thrawn was the first alien to serve in the Imperial Navy. 

No matter how many times Eli had to spell it out, Thrawn always dismissed him and went right back to ignoring the way everyone else treated him. Even when the cadets jumped him and beat him up at the Academy… even when the other officers assigned him the worst tasks. Thrawn just never could see it for what it was. 

But Eli's words caused Thrawn to tilt his head again. 

"No? Have I not been? Is this not dating?" 

"Sorry," Eli said. "I'm-" 

Eli felt his heart rate pick up a little bit, his breathing becoming heavy. Pronounced. And now he knew how it felt to be the victim of something completely oblivious. 

His mind raced through all their past interactions, trying to find proof for Thrawn's feelings. And there it was, written over everything. When Thrawn had first been captured, his eyes were constantly on him. He'd risked everything time and time again, insisting that Eli remain assigned to him as an aide. Even when Thrawn risked losing his life. Even before the Emperor. 

And then there was their time at the Academy. When Thrawn suggested Eli could pretend to hate him, he'd refused, the way Thrawn had reacted... his emotions were so subtle, but now in reflection, Eli could remember how he'd brightened considerably. When Thrawn had been jumped by his fellow cadets, he'd pushed Eli out of harms way before protecting himself... and when the assailants turned on Eli, Thrawn, who'd only moments before had been nearly defeated, had renewed his attack with a different kind of intensity. Throwing himself fully into defending Eli... 

Eli straightened up a little, glancing sideways at Thrawn, desperate to have the Chiss's ability to read emotions. 

But Thrawn just kept staring back, his eyes slowly looking him up and down. 

The attention… it was almost unbearable. 

Eli felt his heart race, no, flutter. As though slowly awakening, his skin began to tingle, to come alive, the sensation was unlike anything he'd felt before. His heart was drumming so hard against his rib cage he was sure Thrawn could hear it, pumping fast, desperately racing. 

Eli took a deep breath, holding it in expectation. Thrawn had lifted a hand, his eyes constantly moving, reading every sign, and slowly brushed his fingers against Eli's cheek. Eli didn't know how else to describe it – his touch was electrifying. He felt his cheek burn as blood rushed to his face, and he tilted his head slightly, leaning into the touch, a soft gasp escaping his lips. 

His chest was nearly heaving now, each breath an exhilaration. He gripped the sides of his bunk, his fingers digging into the sheets, trying to ground himself. But what he was feeling, what he was experiencing? It wasn't something he wanted to come down from. 

And… this was just a _touch?_

Eli looked over at Thrawn, those hungry eyes, his lower eye lid partially closed, the only sign of vulnerability Eli had ever seen him show. It was… intoxicating. 

Thrawn's movements were slow, calculated, either to let the sensation build or to ensure he wasn't pushing any boundaries, Eli wasn't sure. He closed his eyes as his breath caught in his chest, as those fingers slid back, combing through his hair, coming to rest at the back of his head. Eli was melting, straight up melting. It was the sweetest surrender, and Eli surrendered completely. His muscles relaxed, worry erased from his mind, his head falling back into Thrawn's hand. And those fingers, clutching, taking control. 

And that hand drew him close, Eli's heart racing, felt warm lips pressing against his. He gasped into that first kiss, hungrily pushing back, accepting it, the ecstasy intense. And those lips, kissing him back, purposeful, driven. As though the months of holding back had been horded, treasured, to charge out now, to release every longed-for moment into that first kiss. 

This love, Eli was losing all sense of direction, of place. He didn't know he was laying down until he was, gentle hands having guided him back against the mattress. He opened his eyes, a gasp catching in his throat. Thrawn's eyes were still watching, constantly reading him. Eli reached out a hand, but his arm felt heavy, his fingers trembling. He clutched onto the high collar of Thrawn's uniform, tugging at it, fingers brushing against skin. 

The message was loud and clear. The tunic was on the floor the next moment, Eli letting out a faint whistle as Thrawn worked his undershirt over his head, revealing a torso that could have been chiseled from marble. Well defined muscles. Absolutely perfect. 

And then Thrawn was on top of him, dedicated hands working through the snaps of Eli's own tunic, his hips giving an involuntary buck as Thrawn fumbled with his waist belt. A hand pulling him up to a sitting position as the other pushed the uniform's sleeves down his arms. Eli, eager, leaned forward, returning to the kiss, Thrawn, distracted and sloppy, trying to return it but tugging at Eli's undershirt, too. Trapped, not wanting to break that kiss, but Eli laughed, realizing the dilemma, breaking away to let his shirt come over his head. 

Normally he would have felt horribly self-conscious, compared to Thrawn he felt in unimpressive shape at best, but Thrawn left no doubt in his mind. He was on top of him again, delicate hands cradling his face, passionately pressing his lips against his. Each beat of his heart was like a surge of adrenaline, running away, taking him away. 

A hand left his face, Eli gasping in desperation as he felt it slowly rake against his skin, digging into muscle, snaking from his face, to his neck, to his chest. Eli's hips gave another desperate buck, a soft moan escaped his lips as the hand kept going. 

Eli's thighs were trembling, anticipating, but that hand was so slow to arrive. He opened his eyes, hungry eyes looking down at his body, observation, taking in everything. 

"Please," Eli moaned, as if it weren't obvious he was ready. 

The sound was usually so mundane but now, a button snapping open was gorgeous, the introductory note of a symphony, expectant with promise. Eli propped himself up on his elbow, his breathing coming so hard now he could see beads of sweat forming on the bare, exposed skin. And another wordless cry, Thrawn had pulled down his trousers, exposing him. 

Eli watched, with a certain pang of validation, as Thrawn's eyes widened, trapped in the moment, he was unable to move. Thrawn's chest rising and falling, the most alive he'd ever looked. And before Eli had a chance to encourage him, Thrawn wrapped his arms around Eli's body and pulled him up, nearly inverting him head-over-heads. 

The feeling of Thrawn taking him into his mouth, Eli let out a laugh. It was utterly spontaneous and cut off by a gasp. The sensation, it took him by surprise. Nerves woke up, springing to life, his body tingling with a new life. Thrawn was slow, passionate, deliberate. The confidence, Eli was helpless to succumb to it. 

It was too much for Eli, and he let out another gasp, his body trembling and collapsing. 

Thrawn jerked his head back, eyes again wide with surprise, looking up, catching Eli's eye. 

"I'm sor-" he stammered, unable to finish, Thrawn was upon him again, fingers finding his and interlacing, his lips on Eli's neck, the desire more urgent, more satisfied. Eli moaned, squeezing Thrawn's hand, leaning his head back, exposing more of his neck. 

The first time he felt Thrawn's tongue drawing across his neck, Eli nearly shouted. And with each positive response, Thrawn answered in kind, traveling, exploring. Thrawn took Eli's ear lobe into his mouth, sucking on it, Eli helplessly thrusting his hips against Thrawn's. Again, startled, caught off guard, Thrawn broke away. Eli stared back into his eyes, eyes he could trust. When Thrawn looked down, as though in disbelief that Eli could be ready again so soon, Eli couldn't help laughing again. 

Thrawn jumped up, his movements deliberate, trousers on the floor in moments. Eli had to prop himself up on his elbows again, his body shivering in anticipation. Crawling back on top of him, cupping his hand behind his head again, Thrawn invited Eli into a kiss, long, deep, passionate. 

Eli rolled onto his stomach, Thrawn on top of him. Fingers interlacing again. He was absolutely trembling, muscles he didn't know he had moving spontaneously. Nervous? Maybe. It was a leap into the unknown, but he was ready. Sure of it. 

And whatever he expected it to feel like, his imagination could never do it justice. 

He'd never been alive before that moment. Whatever reality he thought he occupied, it was a lie. This was life. This was living. Something happened, something was unlocked, something held back was released. It was like every cell in his body had been holding onto this alternate reality, and let go all at once. It was ecstasy. 

He was both there and not, aware of what was going on but not, it was like living in two completely different realities. He'd forgotten about where he was, what the price to pay would be – the universe was at once both encompassing everything and just the sensation. Enormous and intimate. 

And then it was over. Though it wasn't until the end that he'd heard even the slightest thing from Thrawn, something like a growl, a primal cry, and that was it. They were laying together, panting, Eli feeling like the world was spinning delightfully around him. 

He was absolutely love drunk. 

"Whoa," he finally said, and burst into laughter. He turned to look at Thrawn, and he was reclined beside him, looking regal, like a conqueror, glowing with power. The confidence he normally projected nothing compared to him now. Like a protector, vigilant, but staring off into his own thoughts. It stole Eli's breath. 

Eli laid down, alternatively giggling and trying to shoot Thrawn a sultry glance, and then laughing again. This love, it was intoxicating. 

Minutes passed, and whatever Thrawn had been up to, he was apparently satisfied, and laid down, wrapping an arm around Eli. 

"You will be mine now," Thrawn whispered. Not demanding, not requesting. It was a statement, sweet, perfect. 

Eli answered by laughing, which he quickly tried to stifle, which of course only made him laugh more. 

"Sorry," Eli said, leaning his head back again, closing his eyes, soaking everything in. "I guess this is why you were exiled?" 

"What do you mean?" Thrawn asked. 

"You. Me, you know. _This."_

"I don't understand." 

"I just figured... ." 

Thrawn scoffed. "A male that can dominate another male is obviously in possession of the strongest virality. On my world, we are honored, as standard bearers of masculinity." 

"Yeah, well that would get me exiled off my planet," Eli mumbled, wincing as he figured that had absolutely killed the mood. Thrawn just laid there, pensive as ever, Eli secretly wishing he hadn't said the wrong thing. Thrawn's emphasis on family - would he decide this wasn't worth it if it meant Eli might have ruined his relationship with his parents? Eli winced, thinking of what his parents would say... they already hated the Chiss. 

"Then I will strive to become indispensable," he said. He abandoned his thoughts, turned to Eli, leaned forward and rested his forehead against Eli's. "You are mine now. My duty is to protect you." 

Eli stared up at him, at awe of that unshakable self-assurance. 

"You sure were ballsy," Eli laughed at last. 

"I'm not familiar with-" 

"It means you take risks without fearing what'll happen." 

Thrawn frowned, not understanding. "I couldn't have done anything if you hadn't responded to me." 

"Anyone would have responded to that," Eli said, letting out his breath, and laughing. 

"I didn't want anyone," Thrawn insisted, pulling Eli closer to him. "I only wanted you." 

Eli smiled, nestling into Thrawn's embrace, his breathing slowing to a soft whisper. The next moment, he was asleep in a dreamless sleep. Thrawn watched him, as though so fresh to the idea of protecting him that he wanted to ensure his dreams weren't going to hurt him, either. He blinked and looked away, returning to his thoughts. The promise he'd made. He would have to become indispensable to the Empire. If it meant keeping Eli safe, he would do anything.


End file.
